Well, today I'm in Illinois, about 20 miles outside Chicago...which is a
REALLY huge city btw! SHEESH I had no idea. Coming from L.A. our buildings can't go that tall, earthquakes and all you know, so they spread out a bit more, but Chicago, omg there was skyscraper after skyscraper!
How many freaking people are there in this country!!!
Seriously I keep seeing all these industrial plants and skyscrapers and houses and shopping malls and the reality of how many people there are is really starting to dawn on me. It's just seeing it is so much more tangebile than some random number, you know?
I actually got a little overwhelmed by it all yesterday. I mean how and when did life get so complicated? We have water treatment plants and office buildings and airports and...Do you have any idea how many trucks there are on the road every day filled with
stuff coming and going? Do we really need all this stuff? I don' know, but we have it.
Dale and I have dropped off springs and flavorings and air compressors and even car seats for a new Camero. We've been to New Jersey, West Virginia, Kentucky, spent LOTS of time in Michigan, then Indiana and now Illinois. Sometimes we are in the middle of nowhere, where things are quiet and peaceful, and others we are in cities and me being me, I find people fascinating, so, everywhere we go I try and find out something about someone.
I'm meeting all kinds of people. People who are all pissed right now over the buyout thingee sheesh, but anyway, I can't entirely explain it yet, but it's changing me, it's making me far more aware of life and home and community and I think I'm longing more and more for a quiet piece of land in the country. Somewhere I can grow my own food and live as simply as possible. I want to leave as small a footprint on the planet as I can, I want to save animals, and I want to be healthy, in spirit, mind, and body.
Ever hear the Rascal Flatts song, Mayberry? Well I think I have a whole new understanding of that song, and maybe it's just coz I'm getting older, but the more I see of this crazy world, the less I want in my personal life. I'm becoming more and more interested in faith and love and giving and being kind to people, and less and less interested in the big house and the trips to Italy. lol
I love meeting new people, I've met nice people, grouchy people, funny people, hurt and broken people. It's been so amazing so far and seriously, I was telling Dale last night, as today marks 2 weeks out here, it feels like about four days!
The time is buzzing by and I've adapted far better than I would have imagined. I've even been developing a new life philosophy. It started on my birthday, as I really sat and evaluated how I live my life. Then seeing all these people and businesses and the craziness life is, then yesterday I saw a sign that said...
"Today is a gift. Otherwise why would they call it
the present?"
I think I've heard that before, but yesterday it hit me at exactly the right time. I spend far too much time in the past and future, when really the present is all we've got.
Dale's teaching me a lot about being more relaxed about life. He's amazing, ok he does get irritated with stupid drivers, but I've decided to ignore that, lol but otherwise, he's so laid back. Not in a bad way, not like I'm just gonna lay here and let things come what may. More like, I'm going to work my ass off, do the right thing, and let God handle the results. It's really a cool thing to watch and being with him is allowing me to relax too. I'm not worried about the next catastrophe falling, I'm taking in things around me and not worrying anywhere near as much as I used to and even though I'm not stressing and micro managing...
the world has
NOT ended!!!

It boggles the mind. I love how much we laugh together too, that's a totally new experience for me and it's beyond nice. I've even been writing! I'm about 3k into a new series. I honestly didn't think I'd get any writing done out here, but when it comes down to it, there aren't any distractions. It's a huge blessing, but to go along with my new "live in the present" attitude, I'm not plotting how many books I can get done before I come home, I'm just writing everyday, thinking out each new scene then putting it on paper (so to speak) when I'm ready.
Life on the road is teaching me so many things, maybe I'll write a book about that some day!

Labels: road trip